Singapore Customs arrests three men and a woman and seizes 1,100 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes
Singapore Customs arrested four suspects – two male PRC nationals, a male Singaporean and a female Singaporean – aged between 25 and 42, and seized 1,100 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in an operation on 28 June 2022.
Case information
During the operation conducted in the vicinity of Waringin Park, Singapore Customs officers observed brown boxes being transferred from a Singapore-registered van into a Singapore-registered car parked side by side. Suspecting that the brown boxes contained duty-unpaid cigarettes, officers moved in to conduct checks on the three men and woman, and uncovered 150 and 950 cartons of duty-unpaid cigarettes in the car and van respectively. All four persons were arrested.
The duty-unpaid cigarettes, two vehicles, and cash amounting to $6,300 found on the two PRC nationals suspected to be linked to duty-unpaid cigarette transactions, were seized in the operation. The total duty and Goods and Services tax (GST) evaded amounted to about $93,940 and $7,470 respectively. Investigations are ongoing.
Buying, selling, conveying, delivering, storing, keeping, possessing or dealing with duty-unpaid goods are serious offences under the Customs Act and the GST Act.
Offenders can be fined up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded and/or jailed for up to six years. Vehicles used in the commission of such offences and proceeds of sales of duty-unpaid cigarettes are also liable to be forfeited.
Members of public with information on smuggling activities or evasion of duty or GST can call the Singapore Customs hotline on 1800-2330000 or email [email protected] to report these illegal activities.
